Classic Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake

I used to think poke cakes were just for boxed cake mix recipes—you know, the kind where you dump a can of pudding on top and call it a day. But then I realized you could make them from scratch and fill them with basically anything you want.

This strawberry cheesecake version takes a homemade vanilla cake, pokes holes in it while it’s still warm, and soaks it with sweetened condensed milk. Then you top it with a fresh strawberry sauce and cream cheese whipped cream. It’s like someone took a regular cheesecake, made it easier to serve at a party, and added cake to the mix. The best part? You can make it the night before, so there’s no last-minute stress when people are coming over.

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What Kind of Strawberries Should I Use?

Fresh strawberries are definitely the way to go for this poke cake, and you’ll want to pick ones that are ripe but still firm. Look for berries that are bright red all the way through without any white or green spots near the stem – those aren’t quite ready yet. If strawberries aren’t in season where you live, frozen strawberries can work in a pinch, but make sure to thaw them completely and drain off any excess liquid before using them in the recipe. The fresher your strawberries, the better your cake will taste, so try to use them within a day or two of buying them for the best flavor.

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Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Sour cream: You can use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in a 1:1 ratio. It’ll give you the same tangy flavor and moist texture.
• Vegetable oil: Canola oil or melted coconut oil work just as well. You could also use melted butter, though it will give the cake a slightly richer flavor.
• Sweetened condensed milk: This is pretty important for the poke cake effect, so I’d recommend keeping it as is. In a pinch, you could make your own by simmering regular milk with sugar until thickened, but the canned version is much easier.
• Fresh strawberries: Frozen strawberries work fine here – just thaw them first and drain any excess liquid before making the sauce. You might need slightly less water since frozen berries release more moisture.
• Heavy whipping cream: You need heavy cream for the topping to whip properly, so don’t substitute with half-and-half or milk. However, you could use store-bought whipped topping like Cool Whip if you’re short on time.
• Cornstarch or flour: Either works for thickening the strawberry sauce. If using cornstarch, your sauce will be clearer and glossier. With flour, it’ll be slightly more opaque but just as tasty.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with poke cakes is not letting the cake cool long enough before poking holes – if it’s too warm, the cake can crumble and fall apart, so wait at least 30 minutes and make sure the holes go almost to the bottom using a wooden spoon handle or straw.

When making the strawberry sauce, rushing the cooking process will leave you with a runny topping instead of a thick glaze, so let it simmer the full 10 minutes and don’t skip the cooling step before pouring it over the cake.

For the cream cheese topping, using cold cream cheese is actually important here, but make sure to beat it thoroughly until completely smooth with no lumps before adding the heavy cream – any chunks will stay chunky and won’t blend in later.

Finally, resist the urge to frost the cake right after adding the strawberry sauce; give everything at least 30 minutes to set in the fridge so the layers stay distinct and don’t turn into a mushy mess.

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What to Serve With Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake?

This cake is already pretty rich and sweet, so I like to keep things simple on the side. A hot cup of coffee or cold glass of milk is really all you need to balance out the creamy, fruity flavors. If you’re serving this at a party or gathering, fresh strawberries on the side make a nice addition, or you could even add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for anyone who wants to go all out. Since this is a dessert that stands on its own, I usually just focus on having good beverages available and maybe some fresh berries for people who want something a little lighter alongside their slice.

Storage Instructions

Store: This cake needs to stay in the fridge since it has cream cheese frosting and sweetened condensed milk soaked into it. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container, and it’ll stay fresh for about 3-4 days. The cake actually gets better after a day or two as all those flavors meld together!

Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this one. The whipped cream frosting and strawberry topping don’t hold up well in the freezer, and the texture of the poke cake gets a bit weird when thawed. It’s best enjoyed fresh from the fridge.

Serve: Always serve this cake cold, straight from the refrigerator. That’s when the creamy frosting and strawberry topping taste best. If you’re bringing it to a party, keep it chilled until right before serving time.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 5600-6100
• Protein: 55-65 g
• Fat: 210-240 g
• Carbohydrates: 830-900 g

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

For the soak:

• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

For the strawberry sauce:

• 1 lb strawberries (hulled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

For the frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese (full fat, chilled)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (chilled)
• 1 1/4 cups icing sugar (sifted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Step 1: Prepare Pan and Make Cake Batter

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

While the oven heats, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, room-temperature eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream in a large bowl and mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Alternate adding the dry ingredient mixture and the whole milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry mixture, stirring until just combined.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Step 2: Bake Cake and Prepare Strawberry Sauce

• 1 lb strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Bake the cake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake bakes, prepare the strawberry sauce by combining the hulled and chopped strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp flour, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, mashing the berries with a spoon as they cook to release their juice and create a thicker, more cohesive sauce.

Step 3: Soak Cake with Condensed Milk and Strawberry Sauce

• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• strawberry sauce from Step 2

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes.

Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top of the warm cake—I like to make the holes fairly close together so the cake absorbs plenty of liquid.

Carefully pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire cake, allowing it to seep into the holes.

Let the strawberry sauce cool for about 15 minutes, then pour it over the cake in an even layer, allowing it to settle into the poked holes.

Step 4: Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/4 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Place the chilled cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until it becomes smooth and creamy.

Add the chilled heavy whipping cream and continue beating until soft peaks form.

Fold in the sifted icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp salt, then beat again until stiff peaks form.

I find that beating just until stiff peaks is the sweet spot—overbeating can make the frosting grainy, so watch carefully in the final moments.

Step 5: Assemble and Chill the Cake

• whipped cream cheese frosting from Step 4

Spread the whipped cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake, making sure to cover all the way to the edges.

Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the frosting to set.

This chilling time also helps the cake hold its structure when cut.

Classic Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake

Delicious Classic Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings 16 slices

Calories 5850 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

For the soak

• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

For the strawberry sauce

• 1 lb strawberries (hulled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

For the frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese (full fat, chilled)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (chilled)
• 1 1/4 cups icing sugar (sifted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. While the oven heats, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, room-temperature eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream in a large bowl and mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredient mixture and the whole milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
• Bake the cake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake bakes, prepare the strawberry sauce by combining the hulled and chopped strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp flour, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, mashing the berries with a spoon as they cook to release their juice and create a thicker, more cohesive sauce.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top of the warm cake—I like to make the holes fairly close together so the cake absorbs plenty of liquid. Carefully pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Let the strawberry sauce cool for about 15 minutes, then pour it over the cake in an even layer, allowing it to settle into the poked holes.
• Place the chilled cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add the chilled heavy whipping cream and continue beating until soft peaks form. Fold in the sifted icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp salt, then beat again until stiff peaks form. I find that beating just until stiff peaks is the sweet spot—overbeating can make the frosting grainy, so watch carefully in the final moments.
• Spread the whipped cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake, making sure to cover all the way to the edges. Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the frosting to set. This chilling time also helps the cake hold its structure when cut.